Lesson 1 Writing PortfolioAgamemnonI feel as if Agamemnon is very independent. I feel this because when he is offered a purple or crimson red carpet to walk upon as he triumphantly leaves his chariot and enters the palace he refuses to do so. I feel he is very independent because he likes to make his own decisions and think for himself. Although, he can be dependent too, as when he talks to Clytemnestra he agrees.CassandraI feel as if Cassandras main purpose is to promote the theme of death because she lives under a curse and is the cause of her death and Agamemnons death. ClytemnestraI feel as if Clytemnestra likes to do justice, but in her own way. As she kills Cassandra and Agamemnon, she feels no wrong in doing so.

Lesson 4 Writing PortfolioFrom my story, I would like the readers and listeners to learn about what I had to go through, and what caused the downfall of my kingdom and family. I would like them to learn from my story about what the true point of life really is. Why does It matter, because in the end we will all end up as soil. Lesson 5 Writing PortfolioIntroductionTopic: The similarity between the three works, Hamlet, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, and Agamemnon is in the fact that each of the primary characters share the commonality of possessing a fatal flaw.Thesis: A fatal flaw is both prevalent and vital in the telling of the plot in each of the primary characters in William Shakespeares Hamlet, T.S Eliots The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock and Aeschylus's Agamemnon.Main Points:Prufrocks inability to make decisions is what results in an eventual irrelevant life which only served to pass time without accomplishing anything.Agamemnons arrogance and lack of empathy is what leads to his death at the hands of his wifeHamlets utter confusion and peculiar reaction to both his fathers death and his fathers ghost was the catalyst for the bloody finale in the play.

First PointClaim: Hamlets fatal flaw is his confusion; his extremely strange reaction to the events that he experiences. On the contrary Agamemnons arrogance does not cause him to over think things, but rather to be oblivious to his surroundings.Evidence: Hamlets lack of trust leads him to possibly believe that the Ghost is a demon trying to tempt him with false information regarding his fathers death a goblin damned (1.4.40)."Things are now as they are; they will be fulfilled in what is fated; neither burnt sacrifice nor libation of offerings without fire will soothe intense anger away" (67-71). Significance:Clytemnestras contempt towards Agamemnon is gone completely unnoticed by him as a result of his arrogant nature Hamlets procrastination toward his revenge is a direct result of his ultimate confusion towards the entire situation

Second PointClaim: Prufrock's passivity was a blend of both of these flaws; he was extremely aware, yet failed to make any action towards his goalsEvidence: Passivity is a prominent theme within the poem; when Eliot mentions In the room women come and go Talking of Michelangelo (13-14) he purposely does not describe the room, in fact it can be presumed it was an effort to make this fact insignificant in the ultimate plot of the poem.Significance: His superficial mentality along with his passivity is what consumes his time on earth and leads to his eventual downfall; a realization that his life had been rather meaningless.

Third PointClaim: The desire for revenge is a theme that is prominent in both Agamemnon and Hamlet, but can be vaguely related to The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.Evidence: Hamlets lust for revenge is the central plot of the play.Clytemnestras only focus is to avenge her daughter, and serves as a message that ones revenge can ultimately consume an individual and their comrades. Significance: Revenge is a recurring theme within both Hamlet and Agamemnon. Within The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock revenge is not an obvious theme within the poem by any means, however it could be an unavoidable byproduct of leading a lifestyle similar to Prufrock.

ConclusionThesis Reworded: The fatal flaws of each of the characters within the works Agamemnon, Hamlet, and The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock are essential to both the character development and plot within these storiesSummary: Hamlets confusion towards the peculiar events which he experiences serves as the catalyst for many of the major events within the play. Agamemnons ignorance towards his wifes desire for revenge, and her emotional connection to her daughter, leads to his ultimate demise. Prufrocks passivity towards life is what results in his realization of his uneventful and unfulfilling years on earthSignificance: These protagonists are used to deliver a message to the audience, and more often than not the message is synonymous with each of their respective fatal flaws. The innate issues within human personality are portrayed through each of these characters, and the consequences they receive serve as a warning for the future.

Lesson 6 Writing Portfolio2. The motif labour is used a lot. This is used by the immigration labour that is being done in Toronto at that time, and is evident throughout the book.3. On page 116, Alices puppet show which is a metaphor of the migrant experience in the book, which represents the impotence of those without a language. This is a metaphor. 4. I believe this was the title chosen because the word lion shows power, braveness, and strongness. By the term in the skin, I feel as if it means in the inside of a person that would represent a lion (using the qualities I just mentioned)Lesson 7 Writing PortfolioVocabulary Activity:Activity:Match the following words with the correct definitions! Abattoir - A tunnel where air is pulled out to decrease pressure and to create a suction.Venturi tunnel - A small wooden or metal peg used to control the flow of air into, and carbon dioxide out of, a cask of ale. Also used to take maple syrup from trees.Aphid - Heavy material placed in such a way as to improve stability and balance, as in the hull of a ship or the basket of an air balloon.Creosote - A place where hides are removed from animals and turned into leather.Kew Beach, Toronto - The Northern region of Greece that has, in various times of history, been part of Bulgaria, Albania, Kosovo and Serbia.Detonator - A slaughterhouse.Macedonia - An amusement park in Toronto between 1907 and 1925. By 1930s it was turned into boardwalks and shops.Spile - Small lice that live on plants, small green insects that live on leaves and branches of plants.Corrections:Abattoir - A slaughterhouse.Aphid - Small lice that live on plants, small green insects that live on leaves and branches of plants.Kew Beach, Toronto - An amusement park in Toronto between 1907 and 1925. By 1930s it was turned into boardwalks and shops.Venturi tunnel - A tunnel where air is pulled out to decrease pressure and to create a suction.Detonator - a device used to trigger an explosive device.Creosote - A tar-like substance that remains after burning wood or coal.Ballast - Heavy material placed in such a way as to improve stability and balance, as in the hull of a ship or the basket of an air balloon. Macedonia - The Northern region of Greece that has, in various times of history, been part of Bulgaria, Albania, Kosovo and Serbia.Tannery - A place where hides are removed from animals and turned into leather.Spile - A small wooden or metal peg used to control the flow of air into, and carbon dioxide out of, a cask of ale. Also used to take maple syrup from trees.

Cover Design

Newspaper Articles:#1: http://collections.historymuseum.ca/warclip/objects/common/webmedia.php?irn=5062697Keywords: Immigration, 1930s#2: http://collections.historymuseum.ca/warclip/objects/common/webmedia.php?irn=5123605Keywords: Foreign Relations, 1930s#3: http://collections.historymuseum.ca/warclip/objects/common/webmedia.php?irn=5065186Keywords: Immigration, Foreign RelationsLetterI created a mix and match game. Basically you match the definition to the word. This will help the reader understand the novel more as it will explain some stuff better and it will be easier to comprehend and follow along. The cover design creates insight because it leaves the reader wondering and interested. It explains a bit about the novel by the title, but on the image you only learn about the setting and time period, not much more. It doesnt have to be non-fiction, it can be fiction too. It helps the readers relate to the situation and characters while resembling a real environment. I feel like I found the sources/newspaper articles activity hard to complete just because it was tough looking for meaningful articles. I feel like the first activity will, this is because the reader will have an understanding of whats going on if they know the vocabulary. Or else theyd be clueless.Lesson 9 Writing PortfolioDear Mom and Dad,It has been a great adventure riding the trains in search of a new hope, a new life. Although the mood is very unsettling because of all the children who are on the same journey as me, it makes me happy to know that I am not the only one. I sometimes have flashbacks of the day when father came home, telling me that I had to leave. I could not understand it at that point, but I do understand now. I just couldnt be afforded anymore. I was sent to find a new life, some work, to maybe return back home someday to help everyone out. I also remember the day we heard the schools were shutdown, how I felt when I knew I would not move on to the ninth grade. When I was told I had to leave at the age of 14. After searching for many days, I have finally found some work. So have other children. I have made a couple friends. Children who were in the same boat as me, so it was very easy to connect with them. I hope someday I will have enough to come back.Sincerely, DaveLesson 11 Writing PortfolioPlastic Bag JourneyHuman Journey

Created when selected from storeGiving Birth

Bringing bag homeBringing baby home

Using the bagSpending time with baby

Forgetting about the bagSpending less time with child as child grows up

Disposing of the bagChildren moving out of house

Finding a new locationFinding a new reason to live

I feel as it fits in because at first the bag sort of had a meaning, which was to stay with his maker and make her happy and support her. But then when she disposed of him, he had to make up his own destiny with free will, he had to find a new meaning. Whether it be in the winds or in the water. Thats why I feel this fits in with existentialism.Lesson 12 Writing Portfolio1960s (Be as specific as possible!)Today

Environmentalism

Example: People were not concerned at all with their impact on the environment. People wanted everything new. There was no recycling, no concept of pollution being anything other than a sign of progress. In the picnic scene, the Draper family is packing up and Don Draper crushes his beer can and throws it into the lake. Betty, his wife, flips over the picnic blanket, casting garbage all over the grass. They leave without attempting to pick any of it up. Example: People are very aware and knowledgeable of environmental issues. A family picnicking would probably recycle their cans and make sure that all waste was in its proper place before leaving. There are even fines today for littering in public places. This change is due to the public education that has happened to date on environmental issues.

Health (smoking, alcohol, diet, etc.)

There werent many laws against smoking back then. Not just for public spaces, but smoking in general. The practice wasnt really frowned upon on, because we did not know much about the side effects. Drinking alcohol is not discouraged upon on because once again we did not have enough medical research in the field to know the side effects of it therefore it was a common thing to do. The diet was mainly focused on red meats, cheese, eggs, fruits, vegetables, etc which was healthyToday, there are many laws against smoking in public spaces and the practice is generally discouraged as tobacco is known to cause cancer. Drinking alcohol, particularly high-proof mixed drinks, is also frowned upon and would never happen during a typical office workers day as it could lead to grogginess, inefficiencies, and lapses in judgment, not to mention car accidents. Our diet has moved increasingly away from cheese, eggs, red meats, and greasy or fried foods, as they can cause cardiovascular disease when eaten at every meal.

Womens roles in society

Women were not treated equally to men in the early 1900s, but as the years progressed women got more rights.Ideally, women today are treated as the equals of men. They are not confined to the traditional roles of wife, mother, secretary, or spinster. Legally, women are entitled to all the rights and freedoms of men at home and in the workplace.

Childhood and the family structure

Children did not have much freedom. This could be blamed on technology but also discipline. They did not speak back to their parents. Todays children have more rights and freedoms than they once did. They are not taught to blindly obey, without saying a single word back to a parent or authority figure. Parents are very protective and tend to do anything to ensure their children have the highest quality opportunities, schooling, and clothing/possessions.

Work ethic, conduct in the workplace

There was good work ethic and conduct in the work place. There were many labor intensive jobs.From middle-managers on, down to the lowest level, employees are held to strict standards of productivity, attendance, and sick leave. Nearly every employer has a code of conduct that they are given the first day they start work.

Religion

Religion was very central and a main part of a lot of peoples lives. It played a huge role in affecting how people acted and behaved.Religion is not very central in todays world. According to the 2001 Canadian census, only 77 percent of the population identified itself as Christian. In a 2005 Gallup poll, only 28% of Canadians consider religion to be "very important" and this number has been declining in subsequent polls.

Fashion

There wasnt a lot of freedom in the past, as you can see from the Mad Men including when they were at home. Women did not have much freedom either and were restricted.Today we have much more freedom in what we wear. Only the most traditional professions (investment bankers or Bay Street lawyers) dress anything at all like the Mad Men and even these employees dress casually at home and when out relaxing. Women can choose to wear anything ranging from traditional garments covering the body fully, to pants, to unisex or androgynous clothing, without much notice.

Marriage and sex

There have been more babies (the boom) and also women and men get married at an very early age. Although the topic is not discussed upon in schools a lot.Statistics Canada shows that in 2003, the age of first marriage in Canada was 28.5 for women and 30.6 for men. In 1973, it was 22.8 and 25.2. The age of first motherhood has similarly gone up from 23.4 in 1976 to 28.0 in 2003. Sex education and the discussion of sexual topics has gone from a nearly taboo subject in the late 1950s to something taught in most primary schools.

Technology

Although there are many breakthroughs and technology advancements, it is still not at the point where it would be in the present.Cars today tend to be conservative looking and relatively small. Starting in the1990s, the most obvious technological changes are related to the Internets domination of broadcast media, advertising, communications, and data-gathering. Today, the average tablet or smartphone can supply us with a seemingly endless quantity of personalized advertising, audio, video, news, information, and communication options.

Advertising

Without the use of much media (aside of radios), there were a lot of advertisements through posters and banners.Now that the old broadcasters like radio, TV, magazines, and newspapers are less dominant, their ads must be short and tend to be loud, outrageous, or very unusual to even get noticed. An ever-increasing number of advertising dollars are spent each year on targeted ads that are tailored to match the needs, desires, and aspirations of each person who experiences them on an Internet device.

Lesson 13 Writing PortfolioTerms:Irony, playfulness, black humor, pastiche, detective fiction, science fiction, and war fiction, songs, pop culture references, and well-known, obscure, fictional history, and intertextuality.Song:Every Day is a Winding Road - Cheryl CrowLyrics with analysis:"Jump in let's go. Lay back, enjoy the show. Everybody gets high, everybody gets low, these are the days when anything goes. Ever day is winding road... I get a little bit closer... Every day is a faded sign." Over here, the author is capturing the view of life, which is postmodernist. This is because the author is saying this is a place where the signs are faded, where you get closer everyday but you never get to your destination in reality. "He's got a daughter he calls Easter, she was born on a Tuesday night. I'm just wondering why I feel so all alone; why I'm a stranger in my own life... I've been swimming in a sea of anarchy. I've been living on coffee and nicotine. I've been wondering if all the things I've seen were ever real; were ever really happening..." In this piece of lyrics, it is shown that there is a woman who feels that she is isolated. She is talking to a man about his daughter and she starts to suddenly feel, why is she so alone. Probably because he is talking about his family and she has none. Task 8:

Lesson 14 Writing PortfolioI believe that this short story was modernist. The reason I believe this is because the author Katherine Mansfield focused a lot on females in her short story. This short story took in the time when there werent many rights for women. The main character Laura is a modernist in many ways throughout the short story, which is why I personally believe this short story was modernist.Lesson 15 Writing PortfolioI chose to read Mister Pip and The Kite Runner. I chose to read both of these books because I feel like they symbolize the same meaning. By this I mean, both are very directed toward the characters homelands and then the characters are forced to leave because of certain events/circumstances. Culture has shaped the person I am today. This is because our culture teaches us different types of things, and this is what we basically learn from our parents. From this, we will be different from other people because our cultures are different so we learn different things.Time has shaped the person I am today. This is because, in the day and age of now, we are very advanced in technology. So therefore, I can be very lazy in terms of getting from one place to another and adopt the habit of being lazy when back then there were no cars people would have to walk/run very long distances and adopt the idea of being active.The place we grow up in also shapes us as people. For example, someone that grew up in a poor community would not have all the advantages such as having a local sports team, amusement parks, etc. This would affect the persons personality.Lesson 16 Writing PortfolioReading JournalMister PipFirst section There have been a lot of symbols of war present in this section. Wondering why he married a native, and risking it. Wondering why Dolores expresses hatred against Mr. Watts. More symbols of war present as the soldiers burn everything down. Second section More symbols of war. Learning about why Mr. Watts married his wife and stayed at the island. Main character also realizes this. Wondering if she will take the chance and leave her mother. More symbols of war as the soldiers come back.Third section Killed Mr. Watts, wondering what will happen to her mother. Wondering what Matilda will do now as everyone she loved is dead. I dont really think shell die. Why did she go to Australia? I realize Mr. Watts was like a savior to Matilda to reunite her with her father and send her off to a good life. Its good she goes on teaching about Mr. Watt and his ways.

The Kite RunnerFirst Section Learned about Amir, who is the son of a wealthy business man and his best friend Hassan. I noticed that they are like brothers to each other. Amir did not help Hassan when he was being raped and feels very guilty. Amir planted the money and lied I believe this is because he wanted to get rid of the guilt or even Hassan. Baba was sleeping with his business partners wife. He feels guilty too. Second Section Amir has grown up and is in America now. Amir wants to repent and save his best friends son I feel this is sort of a way, for asking forgiveness. What happened to Hassan is now happening to his son by the same person. I feel like Amir will save him.Third Section Amir brings the son back to America with him. The son hasnt spoken and is very quiet, I think this is because the loss of his family but Im not too sure. This is the first time I heard about him smiling.

Character MapMister PipSectionWhat aspects influence character?What influence does this aspect of this character have on their story?

OneTime: The time that Matilda was born really affects her life This affects her life because of the war going on This changes how she will be grown up, what she will be taught, etc She meets Mr. Watts because of this

Place: Where she Is born really affects her life She is born at a place which is in the middle of a war She basically has to grow up with the thought of war, she has seen things in her childhood which most children dont This affects her future as a person

TwoDecisions: Matilda has to make the decision of whether she wants to escape or not This really impacts her story because she will have to leave her mother if she leaves Or she will have to stay in the war zone if she doesnt want to leave

Courage: When everyone she loves has died around her, she still has courage Had she not come out of the water and escaped she would/could have been dead, this impacts her as a person because she visions of Mr. Watts and he affects her life

ThreeReflecting on the past: She reflects on her past and preaches She learns from her past, reflects on it, and goes on to teach about Mr. Watt and about literature and how it can affect someones life This shows that in the end she has grown as a person and has learned a lot from her past experiences

The Kite RunnerSectionWhat aspects influence character?What influence does this aspect of this character have on their story?

OneDecisions: Amir has to make a decision which will shape his whole life When hassan is being raped, he has to make a decision as to whether he wants to save him or not He chooses not to, which leaves him dealing with guilt all of his life

TwoRemorse: Amir feels regret for what he did to Hassan He does this when all of his past comes back to him, he then learns about his son He goes back to save his son, sort of like a good deed to destroy the bad deed

ThreeForgiveness: Amir feels forgiven when he saves his son When Amir saves his son and brings him back to America, he knows that he has done a good deed He feels forgiven by Hassan He also feels that he can forgive himself now for whatever he did to Hassan, he is a better person

Lesson 17 Writing PortfolioThe two books I read were Mister Pip and The Kite Runner.Task 1:UnityThe theme of Unity is in the novel Mister Pip and it results to a great ending. Matilda lost her father when he went to go work abroad and during the novel she could not see him or speak to him. Unity leads to a great ending because when Matilda manages to escape and go to Australia, she does find her father there. This also reunites her with a family member, because she lost her mother. So Unity is clearly portrayed in Mister Pip and leads to a great ending. The theme of Unity is also in The Kite Runner, because Amir moves away from his best friend Hassan when they were little because of what happened to Hassan. Then when Amir and Hassan get older, and Amir goes back to Afghanistan to get Hassans son, it is sort of Amir uniting with Hassan. This leads to a great ending.ResolutionThe theme of resolution is also portrayed in Mister Pip. When Matilda moves to Australia she does not forget about her past and especially about Mr. Watts. When she moves to Australia and becomes successful, she becomes a teacher and doesnt let the story of Mr. Watts to disappear and also teaches about it. This is resolution because the readers feel that his story isnt worthless and he helped Matilda so now she is giving back once shes moved to Australia. Resolution also leads to a great ending in The Kite Runner because Amir felt really guilty for not helping Hassan after what had happened to him when they were little. But by the end of the novel, Amir repays him back by getting his son out of Afghanistan and taking him to the US to live with him and adopting him. This leads to a great ending in the novel because Amir knows he repaid and helped Hassan, which he didnt do when they were little.Character GrowthMatilda in Mister Pip grows a lot as a character. As a teenager, she has to face a lot of problems (the war) and her mother worrying about Mr. Watts. I feel as if she has grown as a character by the end of the book because at one point she had fallen weak when her mother and Mr. Watts had died, but then when she moved to Australia to reunite with her father at the end she becomes successful and brings her life back up. I feel as if this is character growth because she definitely does give up, but then by the end of the novel comes back up. In The Kite Runner, I feel as if Amir grows as a character throughout the novel which leads to a great ending. This is because when he was little he ran away from Hassan whom was basically running away from his fears, but when he was told in Pakistan that Hassan had died and his son was at an orphanage and he should go get him, he agreed. I feel as if this means he grew as a character because he learned to face his fears, and this lead to a great ending. Otherwise, if he had rejected, it would not have been a great ending.Recurrent Symbols or ThemesI feel like violence/war was a huge symbol/theme in Mister Pip. It is talked about a lot throughout the novel and is definitely evident. There are a lot of scenes about murders, soldiers, rebels, etc. Although I feel as in the ending when Matilda moves to Australia this theme disappears because now she is safe with her father. Therefore, this theme does lead to a good ending because at first the theme is all about violence but once Matilda escapes, the theme turns into something else. I believe the theme of friendship is recurrent in The Kite Runner, and it leads to a great ending. This is because Hassan saved Amir at the starting, and even though he was his servants son he was still friends with him. Then when Amir helped Hassans son, he was doing it out of friendship. This lead to a great ending.Task 2:I believe I did good reading these novels. It was a great experience, because they were good stories to learn from, and at the same time was entertaining to read. I felt as if I could relate with some of the events happening in the novels to events that have happened in my own life, and this just made me connect more with the novels. I believe I had an in depth understanding of the novels and its themes, and what the authors were trying to portray. I would recommend both books to other readers, they have very important lessons that they teach and both are great stories that keep you entertained and wanting to know what would happen next.